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History of the Sabbath and First Day of the Week - John N. Andrews

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find no more obedience <strong>the</strong>re than it had done<br />

before in <strong>the</strong> western parts."[6]<br />

Of Sunday labor in <strong>the</strong> western church, Dr.<br />

Francis White thus testifies:--<br />

"The Catholic church for more than six<br />

hundred years after Christ, permitted labor, <strong>and</strong><br />

gave license to many Christian people to work<br />

upon <strong>the</strong> Lord’s <strong>Day</strong>, at such hours as <strong>the</strong>y were<br />

not comm<strong>and</strong>ed to be present at <strong>the</strong> public service<br />

by <strong>the</strong> precept <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> church."[7]<br />

But let us trace <strong>the</strong> several steps by which <strong>the</strong><br />

festival <strong>of</strong> Sunday increased in strength until it<br />

attained its complete development. These will be<br />

found at present mostly in <strong>the</strong> edicts <strong>of</strong> emperors,<br />

<strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> decrees <strong>of</strong> councils. Morer tells us that,<br />

"Under Clodoveus king <strong>of</strong> France met <strong>the</strong><br />

bishops in <strong>the</strong> first council <strong>of</strong> Orleans [A.D. 507],<br />

where <strong>the</strong>y obliged <strong>the</strong>mselves <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

successors, to be always at <strong>the</strong> church on <strong>the</strong><br />

Lord’s <strong>Day</strong>, except in case <strong>of</strong> sickness or some<br />

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